The girl in the woods
by SFww
Summary: Odd is the only one able to see the pink-haired girl who seems to live in the forest. Along with his friends, they must discover the secret that surrounds her, in order to save her.


**1874\. France.**

The first time Odd Della-Robbia saw the ghost girl in the woods, he was fifteen.

He had just arrived at Kadic academy, a boarding school in the middle of nowhere that seemed to have come out of Odd's worst nightmares. It was a big mansion redeemed by a black fence that gave the feeling of being in jail. A dead bindweed climbed the grey ash looking walls and made Odd wondered if everything inside of the building was lifeless.

If his mother had been there, she would have screamed in horror and dragged Odd out of there. But she wasn't, and neither was his dad. Both of them were at home, along with odd's five sisters.

Back in Italy, Odd's life was miserable but still happy. His five sisters seemed to love the idea of hurting him like sadistic witches, specially Adelle. He was still traumatized by the bathroom incident. But even having to endure those devils, he would rather be there instead of that academy.

The first days were tough. Nobody wanted to talk to him, for they thought he was weird. He didn't understand why. In his last school, he was the king. Everyone loved him. His purple suit along with his spiky hair caused tendency. And he didn't want to brag (he did) but lots of girls were begging to be with him. However, in Kadic, students seemed to run from him, like people from rats. And as much as it pained it to admit it, it hurt a bit. Just a little, tiny, bit.

But overall, he didn't care. Odd Della-Robbia didn't need the approval of anybody, and much less from those bitter dumb-ass.

During a split second, he thought his luck might improve when he found out he was going to have a roommate, but his opinion quickly changed when he saw him.

The boy was around his age, and he had brunette hair covering his eyes, along with an eternal expression of someone that had just been told that their whole family had passed.

Odd tried to talk to him about various topics. He asked his name, where he was from, and what he was doing there, even in a moment of despair, he asked his opinion about the weather. But the boy remained impassive while placing his things on his side of the room. The only thing Odd knew about him was his name: Ulrich.

After a while, the Oh so caring Ulrich pushed him out of their room and closed the door right in his face.

The audacity!

So Odd then decided to take his dog and give a walk around the woods that surrounded Kadic academy, thinking that maybe his new friend needed a moment alone and that with time, he would come around.

During his little stay in Kadic, Odd had heard all kinds of stories about the forest. From monsters that ate children to cults that worshiped Satan. Everyone was afraid of it. But in Odd's humble opinion, if from the forest was removed the dead trees whose branches seemed skeletal hands, and the fog that gave the atmosphere of a cemetery, it could even be considered attractive.

Even his dog seemed to like it. Kiwi ran from tree to tree, sniffing the ground. Most people said to Odd that his dog seemed like a rat, with that grey fur and pointed ears, but Odd thought he was the most pretty little thing in the whole world.

After walking during what seemed like hours, Odd decided that it was best to return. In the night sky, clouds of the color of coal were coming together, and it seemed like it was going to rain soon. But as he looked around to all-the-same looking trees, he realized something.

He was completely and utterly lost.

He started walking to what he thought was the right direction, but no progress was made. How hard was it to find a giant building in the middle of the forest?

Odd liked to think he was brave, but he was just a teenager in the middle of the woods, completely alone except his dog which provided no help. So he started running in all directions, screaming in a not very manly way.

He tripped with a rock and fell into a dirt puddle. When he sat up, he had his face and clothes covered in mud. At least, no one had seemed him.

-That must have heard.- A soft voice said behind him. Odd turned around and saw a girl, a little older than him, chuckling with her hand on her mouth.

-Great.- He thought. -Just great.-

She opened her eyes and looked at Odd, surprised. The moon brightened her already pale face with a silver light, and her hair fell down her back like a pink waterfall.

She was beautiful.

The girl gulped and turned around as if checking that Odd was, in fact, looking at her. She then returned her terrified gaze to him again.

-Instead of laughing, you could help me.- Odd said, standing from the floor. His outfit was a ruined, and his hair too. What an incredible night.

-Can you see me?- She muttered.

It was the time of Odd to laugh. -Well, I mean, I'm not blind.-

Odd felt something on his leg, and when he looked down, he saw Kiwi scratching him with its tongue sticking out.

-Kiwi! You little bastard!- He shouted and took the dog between his arms. Kiwi began to stir while licking his face. Odd laughed.

When he looked up, the girl was staring right at Kiwi with her eyes wide open, her mouth forming a small o. Odd looked at her and then to the dog. He extended his arms to the front.

-Do you want to hold him?- He asked, and the girl looked surprised at him.

-No, no, no.- She said, shocking her head. -There's no need.-

-I insist.-

The girl blinked twice and then smiled at him. A radiant, white smile. -Thank you.-

She walked towards Odd. Her steps were small as if instead of walking on grass, she was on small pieces of glass. The dress she wore, pink as her hair, fell delicately, covering all her body seemed to float around her.

She took the dog from his arms, their hands brushing for a slight moment.

-Your dog is perfect.- She said. Kiwi licked her face, but he seemed to not like it because he growled and leaned back. The girl noticed it, and let Kiwi on the floor. He ran towards Odd side.

-Uhh...What were you doing here at night?- She asked, folding her hands behind her back.

-You know.- Odd said. -I could be asking you the same thing.-

The girl smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. -You're from Kadic academy, right?-

Odd gasped and took a step back. Who was this girl? Maybe she was from the cultist of Satan that people talked about. -How do you know?-

-It would be the only reasonable explanation.- She said. The girl extended her arm and pointed at something behind Odd. He followed her finger. -If you continue in that direction, you will get there in a matter of minutes.-

The girl was right. Between the leaves, something grey, with an amorphous silhouette stood among everything. It must be Kadic.

-Thank you, miss. How could I...- When he turned around, the girl was gone, like the sun in the night.

That night, when he fell asleep, he dreamed of a girl with beautiful pink hair and the rest of the night that followed that too.

Two years would pass till Odd saw her again.


End file.
